This invention relates in general to a monitoring apparatus and, more particularly, to a monitoring apparatus in which an image from a video camera can be viewed at a remote location.
A surveillance or monitoring apparatus often uses at least one video camera, and the resulting images may be viewed at a remote location. For example, an industrial facility may have several video cameras at various locations throughout the facility, and each camera may be coupled to a respective video screen at a central security station operated by a single guard.
There are now video cameras which can be coupled to a computer, and there are software programs capable of converting video images from such cameras into a document in hypertext mark-up language (HTML) format, or in other words a document compatible with the Internet standard known as the World Wide Web (WWW). Further, personal communication devices such as cellular phones, pagers and personal digital assistants are becoming increasingly popular commercial products, as wireless communication technology becomes widespread and affordable. In fact, there is now a portable phone which has a small video display, and which includes a WWW-compatible browser that permits the portable unit to download and display HTML documents from the Internet.
At the same time, home security systems have become more common. However, even the most sophisticated home security systems are limited by rudimentary provisions for remote access by the property owner. Further, false alarms are relatively common. Even if the owner is made aware of the alarm, there is no convenient and cost-effective way for the owner to determine whether it is a false alarm. For example, existing systems may notify an owner of a possible break-in or other event through an automated phone call or page message, but the owner has no way of verifying whether there is a real problem or merely a false alarm.
While these existing monitoring systems have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all respects. For example, and as mentioned above, even if an owner is notified by a page or telephone call of a problem or other event of interest, there is no convenient way for the owner to determine whether the event represents a true problem or just a false alarm, still less from virtually any remote location. Further, existing systems do not allow the camera operation to be adjusted from virtually any remote location.
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that a need has arisen for a cost-effective method and apparatus for monitoring which permit access and/or control from virtually any remote location.
According to one form of the present invention, a detector periodically detects an image of a monitored area, a system receives the detected image, a portable unit has a display, and a wireless communication link facilitates communication between the system and the portable unit, including transmission of the detected image from the system to the portable unit. The portable unit presents the detected image on the display. The system detects an occurrence of an event of interest in the monitored area, and automatically transmits to the portable unit through the wireless communication link an indication of the occurrence of that event.
According to a different form of the present invention, a detector periodically detects an image of a monitored area, a system receives the detected image, a portable unit has a display and an operator input portion, and a wireless communication link facilitates communication between the system and the portable unit, including transmission of the detected image from the system to the portable unit. A control section is coupled to the system and can adjust a predetermined characteristic of the image detected by the detector. The portable unit presents the detected image on the display, permits an operator to use the operator input portion to specify a change in the predetermined characteristic, and transmits to the control section through the wireless communication link and system an indication of the specified change in the predetermined characteristic. The control section responds to the indication received from the portable unit by effecting the specified change in the predetermined characteristic.
According to yet another form of the present invention, a first detector periodically detects an image of a monitored area, a second detector periodically detects an image of a monitored area, a system receives the detected images from each of the detectors, a portable unit has a display and an operator input portion, and a wireless communication link facilitates communication between the system and the portable unit. The portable unit permits an operator to identify one of the first and second detectors as a currently selected detector, and transmits to the system through the wireless communication link an indication of the currently selected detector. The system responds to the indication received from the portable unit by transmitting to the portable unit through the wireless communication link the detected image from the currently selected detector, and the portable unit presents on the display the detected image from the currently selected detector.
According to still another form of the present invention, a detector periodically detects an image of a monitored area, and a system receives and processes a detected image from the detector in order to obtain a processed image. A portable unit has a display, and a wireless communication link facilitates communication between the system and the portable unit, including transmission of each of the processed images from the system to the portable unit. The portable unit successively presents the processed images on the display, the processed images having a resolution which is less than a resolution of the detected images, and which corresponds to a resolution of the display.